


Baser Instincts

by GrizzlyBearWrestler



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series), Teen Titans (Comics), Teen Titans - All Media Types
Genre: Action & Romance, Aged-Up Character(s), F/M, Fluff and Angst, Porn with Feelings, Romance, Sexual Tension, Smut, bbrae - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2018-09-25 20:26:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 17,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9842441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrizzlyBearWrestler/pseuds/GrizzlyBearWrestler
Summary: Raven, and Changeling(formerly Beast Boy) struggle to stay 'just friends' as their complicated feelings for each other change after a mission gone wrong.If you're after some BBRae with a bit of plot and a ton of sexual tension, then here ya go!





	1. Chapter 1

_Oh._

 

_Oh, this is bad._

 

_Bad, bad, bad._

 

Raven tried to tamp down her rising apprehension about the training exercise Robi- _Nightwing_ had planned for the afternoon. The Titans were in the Towers gym, regulating their breathing, and wiping the sweat from their faces, just having finished a grueling round of High Intensity Interval Training. Normally, any anxiety about a group workout would be completely unfounded. A little concentration, a bit of work, a couple of mumbled words, and she could get herself through almost anything. Sparring, elaborate (and excessive) obstacle courses, even hand-to-hand combat training. She'd learned to take each team training session as it came, with minimal grumbling.

 

However, when she heard the words " _grappling and wresting exercise_ ", she nearly choked on her own saliva.

 

She already knew how this was going to play out.

 

After that disaster of a mission earlier in the week, the call for some on-the-ground, hand-to-hand, power-supressive combat training was definitely justified. The team had been completely knocked on thier asses a few days ago, after they'd each been dosed with a different coctail of specific toxins designed with each of their weaknesses in mind.

 

Through a _dart_ of all things, they'd each been shot at the exact same moment. To say that was unexpected would have been quite the understatement.

 

They were only expecting a few thugs, maybe six or so low-key gang members, and had shown up to intercept a mystery-drug shipment. It was already too late, once they noticed the inconspicuous little pins sticking out of their bodies, there was nothing they could do. Trapped in the labyrinth of a shipping yard, each of them ended up stumbling around in the dark, calling out to eachother and trying to fight off either sleep or nausea, both in Nightwings case. It had been equal parts terrifying and frustrating. Luckily, Star's metabolism ate-up whatever it was that she'd been drugged with, and she was able to get the team to safety after only a few minutes of panic and confusion. Nearly two full days later, and everyone was still feeling like total garbage. 

 

No-one was back to their full strength yet, mentally or physically, but thinking back on just how bad things could have gone was enough to pull themselves together. Nightwing was determined in his resolve to get the Titans feeling comfortable with their abilities again, even if they were momentarily weakened once more. Hence, the "grappling and wresting exercise" he planned for all of them. No powers, no props, no intervention from other teammates.

 

Raven looked on as her team leader ran through his rules for this challenge, and her dread was steadily building. The smug look on his masked face was all she needed to see.

 

She'd be getting much, _much_ too close to a certain green man-child.

 

Her suspicions were soon confirmed, as he set Starfire and Victor against eachother first. Nightwing would observe, look for weaknesses in technique, and face off with whomever came out on top once the rest of the team finished throwing eachother around. Nightwing didn't need the practice. There weren't many men (or women) who had more martial arts training than he did, but he never missed a chance to show off his skill, nor would he skip out on a a group exercise that he had put together. So, that left Gar, Changeling/formerly BeastBoy, the green-skinned-animal-wonder, as Ravens partner.

 

_Ugh_.

 

She didn't think she had enough energy to deal with all of his shit today, even in her hindered state.

 

Over the last few years, she'd watched with feigned disinterest as he changed. More so over the last couple of months as Gar grew into his new persona. 'Changeling' was _slightly_ more mature, now. He worked harder, gave constructive feedback during meetings more often, and his focus had improved greatly. He still made terrible jokes, and threw puns around like confetti, but Raven doubted that would ever change. It was an integral part of his character. His new found focus came with a drawback however, according to Raven, anyways.

 

No longer were his thoughts and feelings a jumbled gong-show. What used to be the cause of countless headaches for Raven, had turned into something seemingly more distressing. 

 

His feelings were now emitted freely and precisely, and even though Raven always took care to stay out of her friends emotional business, it had become painstakingly more difficult to block out anything radiating from Changeling. He just felt _more_ than everyone else. Sometimes she picked up feelings from him so intense and powerful, it was almost like she was feeling them for herself. It was dangerous, it took so much more control to be around him and not have her powers bubble up to do unexpected damage. Raven also felt like she was invading his privacy just by being in his presence these days, and had been trying to keep her distance when the circumstances permitted it. It wasn't easy.

 

The differences in his attitude were also reflected in him physically.

 

It would have been impossible not to notice, and notice him, she certainly did. Just when she had gotten used to his new hight advantage over her, he started filling out in the best(worst?) way possible. Tagging along to all of Nightwing's extra weightlifting sessions had given him broader shoulders, thicker legs, and overall more muscle definition. She would have to be _dead_ not to atleast appreciate his new form now, and she'd rather _be_ dead that ever admit to doing that.

 

And she _certainly_ wasn't(very discreetly) oggling him earlier while he was at the squat rack.

 

Squatting deep as he balanced the weights over his tensing shoulders.

 

His arms and back working to stay ridged, and in optimal position.

 

His legs...

 

_Mmm..._

 

_No! Don't think about that._

 

_Focus. He's a 'friend', not a... not friend._

 

_We don't think about friends like that._

 

She lightly shook her head to clear that image from her brain, and hoped she wasn't blushing. It was almost too easy to forget that those powerful thighs and that deliciously sculpted ass belonged to the emerald clown of their unit. Especially when he wasn't talking. Especially when that tight masculine body was wrapped up in black spandex. Those heavy cords of muscle shifting and stretching as he...

 

_Uuuuuughh! STOP!_

 

She drained some more water hoping to cool herself down. She was warm from the workout, _not_ because she'd been thinking about Gar's... workout... Definitely not that.

 

She focused in on the ongoing battle for power between her friends, just a few yards ahead of her.

 

Raven had worked hard the last 3 years to get better control over her emotions in order to express them, and although her friends greatly appreciate the lengths she'd gone to, it was tough. With everything coming at her from others, and the feelings and thoughts coming from within herself, she still became overwhelmed quite often, turning to meditation when she could. She was happy with her progress though, however small, but could definitely do without the budding attraction she felt towards her green teammate. It was complex. And complicated. And wrong somehow, they were a family of sorts, she shouldn't want to kiss his stupid handsome face...

 

_Right?_

 

She needed to concentrate.

 

And later, she needed to call up a certain 'not friend'. 

 


	2. Focus

_Fuck._

_She's gonna kill me._

They'd been avoiding each other as much as possible lately, and now they were trapped. No escape.

Soon they would be forced to wrap their hands, arms, legs, bodies, around each other. Rolling around on the padded mats of the gym floor, each one vying for the upper hand.

Climbing around one another, gripping, and pulling. Pushing and manipulating.

Sliding over each other in ways that were decidedly not sexual.

Trying out different positions...

_WOAH._

_Down boy._

_Now's not the time._

Changeling would revisit the fantasy version of this exercise layer on, if he made it out alive. But he had his doubts.

He was stuck between wanting to murder Nightwing, or kissing his stupid masked mug. The opportunity to finally have a viable reason to press the woman of his affections into the ground was something he should relish. He knew he should. The beast inside of him sure did, every wild and animalistic atom in his body was thrumming with delight at the situation. Garfield had dreamt about moments like this obsessively over the last few years.

Him and Raven. His taught green skin against her soft grey skin...

If it wasnt for their gym wear, it would literally be a dream come true.

He barely suppressed a small satisfied purr at the thought. He was getting distracted again.

 _Focus. Focus. Focus_.

It became a chant in his mind, as he lightly bounced on the balls of his feet. Star and Vic were almost through, and from the shrill sound of scraping metal, Alien Girl would be coming out on top. He watched the match come to an end, his friends slumped over, tired, and huffing a few laughs while Nightwing threw out some pointers for next time, and he tried putting on a cool exterior. Raven couldn't find out what this was doing to him.

About a year ago, or some time close to that, he woke up one day and it was like a switch had finally gone off inside him. His vision was sharper, his sense of smell was keener, every muscle in his body was aching to be pushed to its limit. Move. Eat. Sleep. Fight. Fuck. That was all he needed. If he met most of those requirements, he was content. His ferocious rage was easily held at bay most days, although his teammates had learned to let him eat first in the mornings, before approaching him. He gave 'hangry' a whole new meaning.

The only issue with his busy schedule fighting crime, was that the _'fuck-hungry_ ' part of him, the beast, didn't get much satisfaction. Scratch that, it didn't get _any_ satisfaction. And it was eating away at his sanity.

Not that he didn't get any action, because he did, and a fair bit, but he always left in the morning _wanting_. It never mattered how many rounds they went, what the girl looked like, what she did. He craved more. He couldn't just let go with those girls, those delicate women, even the few men he'd experimented with. He was always holding back for fear of himself and what he might do to them if he lost too much control. The beast in him wanted to _rut, fuck, dominate_ those women, and Changeling couldn't let that happen. He couldn't just rough them up, claw at them, _bite_ them, _break them_ , and then leave in the morning before they woke up. What if he got carried away and pushed too far? If he woke up one morning next to a beat-up, lifeless body? He wouldn't be able to live with himself, and he knew in the back of his mind, that terrifying outcome was a possibility, however small it may be.

So, he channeled all of that pent up sexual frustration at the gym, at work with the rest of the Titans, and running/swimming/flying as he saw fit. If his body was exhausted, he wouldn't worry about plowing some poor girl to death. That was the theory anyways. And it rang true, most of the time. Except for when it came to a certain stoic, goth, beauty.

 _Raven_. Something about her set him to flames. Her sent, insense and fire and lavender. Her voice, rich and warm and soothing, like hot, spiced tea and honey. Her body, a perfect mix of plush and firm in all the right places. That darkness inside of her that called out to the beast inside himself. Almost every time he saw her now, he could hear the deep rumbling voice of his 'anti-conscience', begging him to take her.

_"She could handle us. Take everything we have to offer. No holding back. She could take it all. Claim her. Take her. Mate her."_

It was torture.

He knew that although she was reserved, that she seemed to be void of emotions and feeling, she was just as passionate as anyone else. She felt everything, everyone's emotions, and her own, she just had to control it. She had reign it in, and Changeling wanted to set it free. Set her free, at least a small part of her, if she'd ever allow him. He wanted to give her the freedom to feel some of that passion, and he wanted to own her pleasure.

He was at war with himself.

She was his teammate. His roommate. His friend. Basically family. She also had zero interest in starting up anything with him. Especially with him. And there was no way Changeling could handle something strictly casual with her, not that he thought he'd ever get the chance, but it would likely destroy him. Casual wouldn't be nearly enough for him. If he ever got his chance with her, he'd be playing for keeps. He'd want to be that last man to ever have her, the only man to ever touch her until they either died in battle, or in some senior centre together. He was certain, however, that she'd never let herself get 'feelings' for anyone like that. Even if she one day found her perfect partner, she'd never let them in. Not fully. Not into every crevice of her heart and her tortured soul. Not how he would eventually want her.

_Don't let her know._

_Do not let her know._

He was almost glad they'd taken to avoiding each other lately. It was getting harder and harder to hide that primal lust he was harboring for her. If she got even a whiff of it, the game would be up. She'd push him away completely, reintroduce him to the Raven that gave him the cold shoulder, the one that _hated_ him.

Over the last few months, they'd fallen into a tentative friendship with each other. They'd built up enough trust and respect for one another years ago, and that allowed them to work well together as Titans, rounding out the team's dynamic, complementing each other's strengths and weaknesses. But this new friendship was different.

Raven had been pushing herself to open up to the tream more, to be more expressive, and Changeling fucking loved it. They could sit together in companionable silence. He found more enjoyment in her dark humor and dry wit, and could tell the difference between her bitting remarks and sarcastic teasing. Sometimes he could even see her fighting a smile at one of his 'idiotic' jokes. They still annoyed the hell out of eachother, but he didn't care. A friendship with Raven was something that had taken him years to accomplish, and he didn't dare think he'd earned it quite yet. He didn't want to ruin this before it even started.

_I'm gonna fuck this up for sure._

He was startled out of his musings when Nightwing called out to him.

Raven was already waiting for him, standing in the center circle of the mats, and giving him a look of frustration. He was wasting her time. She didn't like anyone wasting her time.

He jogged over, and tried to compose himself.

_Determination._

_Cocky and self assured._

_Focus on the task at hand. Pin her and then get. the. fuck. out of here._

He shot her a lazy smirk, and took up an offensive fighting stance.

 _Determination_.

"You're goin down Rae Rae."


	3. Chapter 3

_That goddamn toothy smirk of his._

_He's gonna get it._

Raven lifted a perfectly sculpted brow in reply, kept her face neutral, and moved into a low defensive stance.

She would let him think he had the upper hand. He was too cocky for his own good, and she could feel it rolling off of him. She felt the little pinch of fear there too, though. Like a cool drop of water on the back of her neck. 

_Good, he should be scared._

Nightwing started his countdown, and she sunk lower into her position across from Changeling. He would probably use his hight to try knocking her over. Looking at him, he was ready to pounce, to clasp her shoulders and throw her off balance. As Nightwing signaled to start, the two Titans on the mat sprung forward. 

Raven was right about Changelings first move. He went high as she went low. As soon as she felt his fingers on her shoulder blades, she latched on to his wrists with her hands and pulled him down and into himself and she moved toward his feet. He tipped forward _just_ enough so that she could slide between his legs head first, and flip him over. It was glorious. 

The shocked look on his face, just before righted himself, was exactly what she wanted to see. And then she felt it. 

A huge wave of palpable excitement. Ot came ghosting over her skin like an electrically charged mist. There was a warmth to it that she couldn't quite place, but there was no time to dwell on that now. 

Seconds later, while he was crouched on his hands and knees, he dove toward her. Raven was in a similar stance, knelt down, balancing on the balls of her feet, one hand's fingers on the ground in front of her. She rolled to the side, and out of the way, just in time. A few of his gloved finger tips brushing over one of her ankles right as she pulled away. 

They gave chase, back and forth, slipping though each other's grasps, escaping holds. 

Raven was surprised at how long the match was lasting, but the look on Changeling's face told her that he was just _playing with her._ He was in his element. He was the predator, she was his prey, and he was just playing with his food. 

They had both pulled up from the floor now, trying to formulate a plan of attack while not giving away any hints of their next move. Circling each other, Raven noticed the way his eyes moved over her limbs, assessing her threat level. His pupils rapidly shrinking and expanding, his breathing growing heavier but still steady, as the adrenaline took hold of him. Some of his muscles started pulsing in groups, and some of the hairs on his forearms came to stand on end. 

 _Fascinating_. 

It always was. Watching him tune into his gift as he reassessed a situation. She momentarily wished she had the chance to study it more often. 

_Crap!_

Apparently some of that little display was just for show. A well timed distraction. And it worked, he'd caught her off guard. 

Within a blink, she'd been knocked off her feet. He'd gotten too close, grabbed the back of her knees, and brought them forward, spilling her onto to mat, flat on her back. She propped herself up on her elbows, and tried to recover. She pushed her feet out, right into his stomach, but wasn't quite fast enough pulling pack. 

He now had his hands firmly clasped onto the meat of her calves, and jerked her closer by a couple inches so he was practically standing over her.

He thought he had her beat. She could feel his satisfaction, and was just waiting for him to say something about it.

That shit-eating grin of his was back. 

"I had no idea, Rae Rae." He drawled it in a haughty tone. 

_Play the game._

_Keep him talking._

_Distract him._

She let out a defeated sigh, "No idea, what?" 

"How easy it would be to get you on your back." He bounced his eyebrows up and down a few tines. "Maybe I'll try it again sometime." 

_Uh..._

_What?_

He even shocked himself a little, with that last comment. It must have been some type of womanizing reflex of his. She could have laughed at way his eyes widened right after he realized what he said, and who he said it to. 

She had the perfect opportunity now. Her chance to take him down, and to get a little revenge.

Raven kept eye contact with him, and tucked part of her bottom lip between her teeth as she snaked her feet around his hips, and behind him. The air around her started feeling sticky and hot, and she knew her plan was working. He was _definitely_ distracted. 

She used all of the power left in her arms and abdomen to propel herself upwards, as she used her legs to clutch onto Gar, and then swiftly  pulled his lower half forward while pushing his shoulders back. 

_Take that, you smirky little shit._

Raven finished the match. Straddling his stomach as he layed back, flat on the mat. Her hands pinned his shoulders down, and she dropped her head to whisper in his ear, delighting in the way his breath became slightly erratic. 

"I prefer to be on top." 

She pulled back with a smug look on her face. 

 _Oh no_.

She couldn't move off of him. Her field of vision narrowed to only the green man underneath her. She was stuck. Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment, and she let out a shaky breath. 

_Oh, fuck._

She could barely hear Nightwing call the match over sound of her heartbeat, and the rush of blood pumping through her body.

_Not good._

_Not. Good._

It was like all of the oxygen was sucked from the room. Like being thrown into a sauna, the air was heavy, and hot, and wet. Her skin was suddenly on fire and begging to be touched, anywhere, _everywhere_. 

She was going to murder Garfield Logan. 

This was _his lust._

It was so strong, she felt trapped in it. Consumed by it. And she wanted to give in to it so, _so badly_. 

His hands, which had somehow drifted up her spandex covered legs, were now digging into her thighs as he flexed his fingers. Their breathing grew heavier, and any thoughts of where they were, or who was watching, started to vanish. 

_Fight it._

_Move away._

_Get off of him_!

She was trying to fight her way out of the thick hormonal sex fog that had taken hold of her brain, when she saw Changeling take a deep breath in through his nose. Something flared in his eyes, and he took in another large breath. She heard, and felt, a deep rumbling sound move from his chest to his throat, and it made her hips reflexively rock back over his stomach. 

_God, that felt good._

_What is he doing to me?_

Changeling used his tight grip on her thighs to move her down his body a few more inches. He shifted his hips, and she let out a small, breathy moan.

Her body was screaming for more. More of _him_.

She didn't think she'd ever been so aroused in her life, and she'd just been sitting there, for little more than a minute, doing  almost nothing of consequence. That's when she realized. 

He could _smell_ her. He could smell, and with his heightened senses, he could practically _taste_ , how turned on she was right now.

_Well.  That's a tad embarrassing._

The scent of her arousal was feeding his lust, and she was apparently powerless to stop herself from feeling it just as strongly as he was. It was a never ending circle. 

The heat radiating from him was so welcoming..

She remembered where they were, their other team members that were most definitely watching them right now, and her embarrassment multiplied tenfold.

She had to leave. 

Now. 

With a very tiny, extremely unintended whimper, she tore Gar's hands away from her legs and rolled off him onto the mat beside him. As he tried following her over, Raven shifted through the floor, leaving him behind. 

 


	4. Idiot

_What._

_The._

_Fuck._

 

Five minutes ago:

He was in heaven.

Raven, his demonic princess, was practically grinding down on top of him, his hands on those fucking perfect legs of hers.

He was dizzy from her pheromones. Drunk on the fact that he could almost taste her in the air. The beast inside him was growling with anticipation, and want, and need, whispering all the dirty little things he'd always wanted to do with her. Both sides of himself were in agreement on that point, they should do those things to Raven. With Raven. Maybe ask her to do some of those things to himself? He liked the possibilities.

For the first time in a long time, Garfield wasn't afraid to give in to that primal side of himself. He knew he couldn't hurt her, at least, not in any way she wouldn't enjoy.

And she wanted him.

Those shallow breaths, that delicious little moan. He could only imagine what other noises he could get her to make.

God, and she smelled so fucking tasty.

He'd never been so ready for a woman before, every cell in his body was on fire for her, and Raven had barely touched him.

Forgotten were the rest of the Titans, the gym, the Tower. He was lost in her, ready to tear through their clothing, to finally make her his.

He didn't want to question it.

It was electric, utterly confusing, and absolutely fan-fucking-tastic.

And then, suddenly, she disappeared. Rolled off of him, and before he could catch her again, sunk through the floor.

 

He wanted to die.

The rest of the Titans were standing to the side, the looks on their faces ranged from confusion and worry, to outright disgust. And Changeling couldn't blame them. He wouldn't want to see any of his teammates basically dry-humping each other, either.

After Raven left, he stayed face down on the gym floor trying to figure out what in the hell just happened. It also helped that this position hid the embarrassing boner he was sporting at the moment. And he was using all of his will power not to press his hips into the mat for some much needed friction.

_Idiot. Idiot. Idiot._

The word played over and over in his head, as he hit his face into the soft padded floor repeatedly. 

He heard Nightwing clear his throat, and Changeling squeezed his eyes shut, willing his friends to disappear. He didn't want to have this conversation. Not now, and preferably never.

He rolled his head to the side, and gave him a weak glare. "I don't want to talk about it."

He was so frustrated he could cry. His 'friends' were now trying to stifle their amusement at the situation. Starfire was obviously holding in a couple giggles. Vic had an overly dramatic grimace on his face, but his eyes were crinkled in barely contained laughter. Nightwing, whom Garfield would blame this whole thing on, looked morbidly curious about everything, his lips pursed in thought, obviously waiting for some kind of explanation.

_Fuck this._

_I'm out._

He'd finally calmed down enough to move, and so, morphed into a tiny green field mouse, and darted out of there. He was almost through the gym doors when he heard their quiet snickering. 

_Assholes_. 

He scampered through the Tower, skipping the elevator, up to the safety of his room. Once he reached his floor, he shifted back. Pulling at his hair and cursing himself out for letting himself get too carried away.

_ Oh God, what was I thinking?!  _

_ I taunted her. She retaliated, that saucy fucking minx, and then I'd totally lost it! _

_ That 'come-get-me' look on her face, the lip biting.. and then she went for the kill.  _

_ She took me down, legs around my waist, and whispered all husky and out of breath that she'd rather be on top...  _

_ She obviously wanted to give me a heart attack.  _

He shook his head, and adjusted himself again. If he kept over playing what happened in the gym, he'd wind up stroking himself in the goddamn hallway.

 

_Almost there. Almost there._

_Just keep it together a little longer._

 


	5. Chapter 5

_Um..._

_Okay_. 

_That got a little more intense than it should have. In the gym. On the floor._

_With Garfield._

_And an audience._

_Shit..._

_I wanted to ride him into the floor of the Titans gym, and I almost didn't care who was watching._

_When did I become an exhibitionist?_

Raven had given up trying to meditate at this point.

She couldn't focus. Everytime she closed her eyes, she would see brilliant emerald green ones look back at her. So now she was pacing in her room, trying to figure out who to blame for this flaming-trash-pile of a mess they'd gotten into. 

Her first choice was Nightwing. 

He'd been the one to put them together in that training exercise. He'd been the one to force them to get close. It was his fault. Nightwing knew they were keeping their distance from eachother lately, that's probably one of the reasons he'd paired them up. 'Team building'. 

_Pfft. More like 'steam building'._

It was never good when Raven started making jokes. 

Her powers were still weakened from the attack they suffered earlier in the week, and for that she was grateful. Her emotions were a goddamn mess at the moment. 

She was embarrassed, confused, upset, worried, exited..

_Still ridiculously turned on..._

Her room would probably be in shambles if she was in this shape and her powers were at full strength.

She took a couple calming breaths before moving to her bed. The canopied four-poster was coloured in shades of dark blue and silver, and just sitting there brought her a little peace of mind. Raven knew that she'd have to talk to Changeling about 'the incident' at some point, and the rest of the team would surely have questions for her as well. Things would be infinitely awkward between her and Garfield if they couldn't sort this out.

All she wanted was to make him a little uncomfortable. How was she supposed to know that he felt desire at such an impossibly high level?

_Was it like that for him all the time?_

_How could he live like that?_

She could still feel that dull throbbing of want between her legs, and she shifted a bit on her bed to get more comfortable. 

It wasn't helping.

Changeling had a reputation for being a bit of a playboy, and now Raven could imagine why that would be almost necessary for him. In fact, she was surprised he hadn't fucked his way through half of Jump City already. The strength of that desire she felt, the desire and lust that had been coursing through him, was _unbelievable_. 

Even now, nearly ten minutes later, just the fabric of her clothes was driving her crazy. The cloth on her body was too cold, and her skin was on fire. She was so bloody uncomfortable. 

She closed her eyes again and was instantly lost in remembrance with how Garfield's hands had felt on her. Hot and strong. Digging into her legs with unrepressed want. 

And the fire in his eyes. That heated look that burned her, inside and out. It was _delicious_.

She'd never felt more desired and wanted. It was no wonder women were practically drooling over themselves when Changeling took a bit of interest in them. All he had to do was look at them, apparently. 

Frustrated beyond all hope, Raven flung herself back into the mattress. After a few minutes of self depreciating inner dialog, she threaded her fingers into her hair only to realize what a sweaty mess she was. A shower couldn't wait. 

_Clean up. Cool off. Then figure this thing out._

Raven shrugged off her gym clothes and padded over to her attached washroom. She set the temperature, somewhere close to lukewarm, and then gingerly stepped into the cascading water.  

_Cold cold cold cold._

She adjusted the water after a minute of quickly soaping off and shivering  under the stream. Her frustration was mounting, and the cool water was doing nothing to soothe her, if anything, it was making things worse.

Another pang of arousal shot through her body and straight to her core. She was, quite literally, pulsing with need.  

" _What_ is happening to me?" She asked herself out loud, wishing there was a better answer than 'it's been too long' and 'you're horny'. 

The last time she indulged in a hook-up was a few months ago, and it had left her feeling less than satisfied, deciding to take a break from her "fuck buddy" duties. She hated the term, she wasn't anyone's 'buddy', but it was a perfect description for what the relationship was. They'd meet up, share a drink, then get each other off before splitting ways.

Raven sighed.

_Fuck it._

She dialed up the hot water, sighing as the hot droplets washed over her body. She leisurely washed her hair, taking her time, enjoying the heat on her body, the rivers flowing down her body in warm caresses. She closed her eyes, as she rinsed out, and  her imagination run wild for a moment.

_What if we didn't stop?_

She knew that the others were probably grilling Changeling in the gym right now, and while she felt a little guilty, it did give her some peace of mind knowing that her team was 4 floors below her. Her lips turned up in a small smile. She deserved some 'me time'. 

_Wouldn't want any interruptions._

Her body was taught with anticipation. Even though she was alone, just the thought of reaching a climax after everything earlier had her ready to combust. She could picture it perfectly, pushing aside the little voice in her head that told her that she shouldn't have sexual fantasies about one of her friends.  Her skin broke out  in goosebumps regardless of the steaming water.

Her thoughts wandered, along with her hands.

 

 

  _His_ _hands._

_They were the perfect size, and so warm even through his gloves. She wanted to know what they would feel like on her, skin to skin. She wanted to feel them all over her._

_Still in that lust induced haze, eyes still locked and expressive, he moved those perfect hands of his up._

_Up, up, up her thighs they went, slowly, until his thumbs were dangerously close to where she wanted them the most._

_She was panting, breaths coming out in shallow gasps. Her eyes were pleading for him to 'just-do-something-already', and she vaguely noticed that her nails were digging into his shoulders where she held him down._

_His answering smirk probably  shouldn't have excited her as much as it did._

_Agonizingly slow, he pried open her legs even further before massaging his thumbs in large semi-circles on her inner thighs. With each stroke he brushed against the v between her legs, over and over, slowly drawing toward her aching center, and Raven cursed the clothes they were still wearing._

_She bit her lips, and shut her eyes, trying to stifle the whispered moans that were somehow still escaping her mouth. All she could do now was focus on how he was making her feel. He was torturing her._

_"Gar, please." She hated that it came out as a whimper, but she couldn't stand this anymore._

_She cried out as he moved a digit to her clit, softly ghosting over it. It wasn't enough though. Not nearly enough._

_"More...more....please...more."_

_He complied, applying just the right amount of pressure, making small, slow circles, switching direction now and again. She was so fucking close. With a strangled groan, his other hand came up and  roughly grabbed onto her breast._

_Her eyes shot open, and the second they made eye contact again, she shattered._

 

 

Raven was slumped against the corner of her shower walls, trying to regulate her breathing, her legs just barely keeping her standing. One hand between her thighs, and the other still gripping onto her left breast. 

 _Wow._  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	6. Creep

_Holy fucking Batman..._

Changeling was sure he had almost made it to his room when he heard her. 

" _What_ is happening to me?" It was quiet, whispered to herself and drowned out by the pattering of water against tile and bare skin. No one but him would have ever heard it from the hallway. The sweet herbal scent of her shampoo crept through the tight gaps of her door and he breathed in deep, his mind going into overdrive.

_She's in the shower._

Images(put together easily after years of fantasizing) of Ravens naked, soapy body flooded his brain, and he couldn't help the happy little twitch his hardening cock gave. 

_She'll be the death of me._

He told himself to hurry-the-fuck-up to his room, but his legs didn't budge. He wanted to soak up that delicious smell seeping out from under her door just a moment longer. He told himself that he was being ridiculously creepy, but that didn't seem to matter either. There was something keeping him stuck there, a sweetness in the air that wasn't from her soap, something he _knew_ but could quite put a word to. 

He hadn't noticed, but one of his hands had drifted the front of his pants, gently stroking over his half-hard dick. Combined with the heavenly scent fogging up his brain, his eyes closed, Changeling nearly missed the hushed sound of a small gasp coming from the woman he was totally perving on. 

_no..._

His eyes shot open and his jaw dropped in a comical gesture. 

_Oh my God._

Another breathy gasp.

_OH MY FUCKING JESUS CHRISTMAS._

Next, he heard something that sounded suspiciously like a small moan of pleasure, probably muffled behind closed, pouty lips.

His own pained sounding whimper escaped.

_RAVEN'S TOUCHING HERSELF IN THE SHOWER_

He felt light headed as the realizations dawned on him. That the extra little 'je ne sais quoi' that he smelled was the slick heat and sweetness of her desire. That he actually heard her trying to bring herself off in the shower. That he was currently standing in the hall, in front of Ravens bedroom door, a hand running over his very prominent stiffy, acting like a fucking lunatic/stalker/pervert.

_WHAT AM I DOING?!_

He quickly let go of himself and awkwardly dashed to his own room, hating to leave but finding it absolutely necessary to get the hell out of the open hallway. 

Once inside, he collapsed back against his closed bedroom door, and furiously ripped his pants down, a strong hand immediately palming over his naked and aching cock. His back arched into the touch, and his other hand dropped to massage his balls. He knew this was going to be quick. Embarrassingly quick, judging by the amount of pre-come now coating his hand and the throbbing hardness slipping through its grip. He bit into his lip trying to stifle the low grunts he was making, and drew a little blood in the process. Surprisingly, the tangy copper taste of it only further spurred him on, and the rhythm of his hand sped up, grip drawing a little tighter. 

He didn't need to conjure up a mental image for this, but one emerged in his mind anyway.

_A soaking wet, soapy, flushed looking Raven. Hot water running down her curvy body, which was slightly bent over in the shower. One hand against the tiled wall, and another between her legs. She was putting on a show for him. Her ass pushed up in front of him, a finger slowly dipping into her tight little cunny. Her head thrown back, and one of those sultry moans escaping through her open lips._

The second his fantasy Raven looked back at him over her shoulder, all the breathe left his lungs with shudder, and he came. His dominant hand twisted a few times on the last few shallow strokes, hips unconsciously bucking as he emptied out over his knuckles. 

If he wasn't so damn relaxed at the moment, he'd probably feel a bit foolish at having shot his load while standing back against his door, all by his lonesome, in record time. 

 _Wow_.

 

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to add this chapter! Things have been totally bonkers lately.  
> Anyways, here you go! Hopefully the next one will be up by the end of the week. 
> 
> And a HUGE Thank You to everyone enjoying/commenting on/throwing a kudos at this work. Means a lot ♡

_Ugh. It's too early for this shit._

Raven had just woken up to a message from Nightwing requesting/ordering her presence in the tactical planning room in 15 minutes. It was almost 8am, Day 1 post 'Incident', and she knew it was time. Time for another monsterously awkward dad-talk from her team leader.

It wasn't like similar situations hadn't come up over the years, on the contrary. Years spent together as bodysuit wearing hormonal teenagers made everyone accustomed to pointedly avoiding eye contact with the occasional erection, or case of diamond-hard chilly nipples. Thin, built-in padding and cups only did so much to hide natural bodily functions.

It happend. It was ignored. Everyone moved on. 

But, reluctantly, Raven knew this situation was a bit different. They'd been poisoned just a few days ago, attacked with a mystery cocktail of chemicals that was still being analyzed, and it _did_ make sense that Nightwing would have some questions for them.

She could only imagine the sight they'd made yesterday. She knew that in the heat of the moment, she had been less than an inch away from sitting directly on top of her friends... _penis_. That said friend was a moment away from placing her there, judging by the firm grip he'd had on her thighs. How she had rolled her hips, rubbing herself on his twitching abdominal muscles... 

Raven felt her cheeks warm in a mixture of shame, embarrassment, and arousal at the memory of what happened. 

_This is going to be so fucking awkward._

She really hoped that this mess wouldn't impact her life too much. She could deal with a day, or two, of questioning looks and teasing from Star and Cyborg. She could handle a weird but friendly interrogation from Nightwing, and she didn't have a problem listening to Changeling crack a couple of dirty jokes to make light of the situation. Anything more than that would be tough, though. She liked the routine she had now, and the type of friendships she had within their little family unit. She didn't want that to change. 

Looking at the clock, she realized there were only 5 minutes left before she was supposed to be meeting with Nightwing. It was just enough time to throw on her suit and cloak and brush her teeth. Taking a deep and cleansing breath, she slipped out of her bed.

* * *

 

Raven entered the room to find Nightwing already seated at the head of the long oval shaped table, what looked like medical charts on the large touchscreen monitor, and a mug of black coffee infront of him. Without looking up, he waved her over with a mumbled "G'morning". She grunted in response and look a seat just a few chairs away from him. 

"Just give me a another minute with these things, and then we'll talk." 

Raven leaned back into the reasonably comfortable chair, pulled on her hood, and closed her eyes. She didn't need to answer, and it was doubtful Nightwing would really be paying attention at this point anyways. A few seconds later, the door opened and closed with a quiet _hiss_ and Raven furrowed her brow.  

_Did he seriously just leave?_

She opened an eye to see Nightwing still in his chair, an identical look of confusion on his face, and then looked around the seemingly empty room. 

_What the f-_

"AHH!" Both Raven and Nightwing let out a high pitched screech when a giant, green Bengal tiger jumped onto the table in front of them. His sharp white teeth were showing in what was probably a smile, huffing a laugh at their expense.

"You're such an _ass_!"

"Get off the table!" 

Nightwings order might have been a bit more effective if he wasn't trying to stifle a big dopey grin. Changeling complied, however, and after leaping off the table, was back in his regular human form. Smiling like an idiot, he gracefully sunk into the chair beside Raven and wished them an all too cheery 'good morning'. She rolled her eyes at him and tried not to smile, but his mood was still ridiculously infectious, and her lips tugged up in the corners before she could do anything about it. 

_Stupid handsome idiot_

 It was obvious now, that Nightwing wanted to do this interview with the both of them, at the same time, and Raven hated that the thought hadnt crossed her mind yet. At least things weren't weird though. _Yet._ She appreciated Changeling's ability to break the ice, now more than ever. They just needed to get through this talk, and then forget that the 'Incident' ever happened. They would need to  for the good of the team, and her sanity. 

Nightwing drained some more of his coffee before talking again, and Raven tried to ignore just how good the man beside her smelled.

_Like damp, rich earth, and citrus, and mint._

She'd make a candle like that if the idea didn't seem like the creepiest thing she'd ever thought of. 

"Alright, may as well get straight to business. Are you two seeing each other?" Nightwing looked them over in a way that could be described as slightly suspicious. "Because I've got no real issues if you are, but I feel like I need to know." 

She heard Chageling answer a clear and perturbed " _No. We aren't._ " And Raven would never admit how it stung a little that he seemed disgusted by the idea of them together. Not that she wanted that. She didn't.

Apparently his answer wasnt enough for the both of them though, because she felt a warm knee prod her leg, snapping her into action. 

"Just friends. What happened yesterday had less to do with us, and more to do with what we were drugged with, I think." She hoped her blank face and monotone voice covered up any doubt she felt about that statement.

She went on to explain how she still wasn't feeling 100% and that it was difficult controlling the force of certain emotions from certain people. That it was a freak accident that didn't mean anything, and that it hopefully wouldn't be happening again. 

"He just feels.. _things_.. strongly. Stronger than most. I egged him on and then I got.. um.. distracted? It's hard to put into words." The last part came out a bit mumbled and all she could think about was how much she wanted to get out of there. 

"That's fine, Raven. I think i get it. Anything to add, Changeling?"

Changeling was stretching his arms behind his back, a slight grimace on his face. "Uh, only that for _me_ , it was like I kinda just stopped thinking. Like..." He was silent for a moment, thinking back on the event. Raven knew because she suddenly felt flushed and a little light headed. "Like that primal side of myself took over, but I was still aware of what was going on."

A tingling spread down Ravens neck and she barely repressed an outward shudder, covering the movement with a small cough.

_Why is he still thinking about it?!_

Changeling shook his head, "As she said, it's hard to explain."

 Nightwing was just nodding his head, oblivious to how uncomfortable Raven had become. "Okay. Well, I think we should probably test your blood again, just to see what's still in there." He started closing windows on his monitor before standing up. "Hang tight, I'll be right back with a kit." 

 

 


	8. Selfish

_Oh, I'm a bad, bad man._

_Raven's gonna skin me alive..._

Changeling was trying to keep himself under control, but _fuck_ was it difficult. Especially when he had to tell Nightwing what was going through his head yesterday in the gym. The memory, and all of the sensory reaction to her body on top of his, came flooding back to him, and he was helpless to stop it. Not that he really wanted to(it was fantastic), but now he knew the effect it had on Raven.

And boy, what an effect it was.

He could hear her heartbeat quicken, and her temperature rise, the moment he thought back on the incident in the gym. He loved that _he_ was the one to do that to her. That _he_ was the one to make her sweat. To cause the subtle blush on her cheeks, and the heat between her legs. It was addicting. 

  Even if it was only in reaction to what he was feeling(and sadly, he knew it was), that didn't deter him. Changeling didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable though, or manipulate her into doing anything she truly didn't want to do. But a part of him needed this. To have _her_ lusting over him for a change. To see her look at him like she did yesterday, with dark and hungry eyes, at least one more time. 

_I'm a horrible, selfish, asshole._

He knew what he was doing, and frankly, it was more than a little alarming. He could feel his control slipping. The need to make her submit to him, and bury himself deep inside of her began to feel dangerously strong again, and he needed to get out of that room before things got out of hand. 

_But she smells so good. And she's so warm, and she's fucking perfect and I **want** her. _

Outwardly he was calm and relaxed, but on the inside he was a mess. Anxious and worried and lusting. Disgusted with himself for wanting to take her like a goddamn animal. He was just glad that Nightwing was still in the room, it kept him somewhat grounded. 

And then he left.

He left them alone. In a room with a large, smooth table that could definitely support both their weight. If it could hand a full grown tiger, it could take the furious pounding of two titans, right? 

_No! None of that._

_Think of something else._

_Anything!_

 Changeling was wracking his brain for any type of safe topic to think on. Food, music, movies. But it was all for naught. All of it turned around on him. In an instant, every seemingly safe subject would morph into a Raven-centric dirty fantasy. 

A vegetarians dream buffet. All of his favorites. And suddenly, food wasn't on the menu anymore. It was Raven spread out for him, ready to be devoured, more sweet and savory than any chefs creation. 

His new top 20 songs and artists.  Trap, pop, reggae, alt rock. He ran through a list in his head. A new playlist. A playlist that would blend together almost seamlessly. Tempo increasing with each song, heavy bass, and smoky vocals. The perfect musical backdrop for an Olympic level shag-fest with Raven. 

The latest movie trailers, films that he was legitimately excited to see. He wondered if he would be able to see one of them in theaters this time. He thought about the uncomfortable theater seats, and the overwhelming smell of 40+ other people packed into the same room. But then he remembered how dark and cool it would be in there. How no one would be looking at him, but instead at the large screen, leaving him free to slide a warm hand up Ravens skirt undetected. To leisurely finger her hot, wet pussy until she was begging him to- 

"Think about _something else_."

The grated words from his daydreams leading lady snapped him out of the trance. He tried to focus on her face, to make eye contact, but that scent was back. Changeling noticed her chest heaving with each shallow breath, and her legs pressing together, quads tensing as she tried not to shift on her seat. Her fingers were gripping the chairs armrests so hard he thought they might crumble to pieces. Her eyes kept fluttering shut with each blink and she was refusing to look at him.

This was what he wanted.

And _that smell_. Her scent. That heavenly perfume pulsating from her core. He wanted to bury himself in it, to rub his face in it, to lap it up with his tongue and own it. 

His thought process was getting a little too caveman for his liking, but it was nothing compared to the rumbling voice pushing it's way to the forefront of his mind. That barely human part of him that wanted to _claim_ her, _mate_ her, _mark_ her, _take_ her.

 He could hardly remember what Raven had said to him at this point, and so his reply was as eloquent as ever. 

"Huh?" 

She scoffed and it sounds bloody venomous. He was surprised she hadn't physically attacked him yet, or left the room, given her not so low-key fury towards him at the moment. Although, he could just be picking up on sexual frustration, which actually seemed more likely given the situation. 

"You. Need. To. Think. About. Something. Else."

_Right. Of course._

"I'm trying, Rae, but it's not exactly working. Do you want me to leave?" His voice had dropped to a husky whisper, taking himself by surprise, and Ravens body responded by leaning a few inches closer to him. She swallowed and took a deep breath before answering in a breathy voice that did things to his cock. 

"No. You can't."

_Because you want me? Because you need me right now as much as I need you?_

"You know this is a test, right? To see if we can still work together, or even be in the same room, while we're like this." 

_Ah. Makes sense._

"Yea. Obviously. I just wanted to see if that would make you more comfortable." He knew his lie had totally flopped, but the soft laugh from Raven was music to his ears. 

"We have to stay here until he comes back. Then we can get comfortable." 

Her unintended sexual innuendo triggered a deep groan to be ripped from the back of his throat, and Ravens whole body shuddered. He could taste her in the air as he licked his lips.

" _Fuck_. I didn't mean it _LIKE THAT_ you idiot!"

 "Mmh. Can't help it. Nice voice. Smell so good." 

_"_ What?" The word left her sweet pouty mouth in a small gasp, due to the very dirty things Changeling was currently thinking about. The beast was making some very good points at the moment.

_She's so ready for us. She wouldn't say no. She wants what we want._

"You need to get yourself under control. I don't want this interfering with my fucking job, got it? We only have a few days left of this, so SNAP OUT OF IT!" 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo you guys I am SO SORRY its taking me forever to update lately. I won't abandon this story though! But writing/editing this thing on my phone is a fucking nightmare and takes up a lot of time i dont seem to have at the moment. Such is life though, eh?
> 
> I live for getting comments/feedback from you guys so a huuuuge 'thank you' to everyone that shared a little love.

_What a fucking idiot._

He obviously hadn't noticed, but shit was about to hit the fan.

Apparently, Raven wasn't quite as weak as every one had assumed, and her powers were well on their way to full strength. Smaller objects in the room, (a pen, one of Nightwing's burner phones, and the batmobile stapler) were encased in black orbs of energy, gently(yet ominously) hovering. She had no control over what was going to happen with those, and was almost too distracted to care. Snapping at him had seemed to de-escalate things, if only slightly, because although he hadn't moved, and was still much too close to her, she found it a bit easier to breathe.

She had started to panic as soon as that masked asshole got up from his chair, trying to telepathically threaten him with murder if he left that room. Obviously, it hadn't worked.

_Both of them. Both of them are idiots._

So, now Raven had been abandoned to the will of a green, hormonal, sexually charged animal-man. _Sort of_. Because although she knew that she could defend her self, or escape, if need be, she didnt _really_ want to. Not really. She'd never admit it though, not even to herself, but the thought of giving into him, getting _just a taste_ of what he might make her feel, did unspeakable things to her insides. She leaned back into her chair and shut her eyes, hoping that this would all end soon.

This weird foreplay thing they had going on was going to kill her. She was overwhelmed. Her brain and stomach were in knots, her lungs only seemed to work at half capacity, and she was literally soaking through her leotard the second he opened his mouth. If being within 3 feet of the man was all it took for all that to happen, she had no doubt that the sex would be explosive. And she was curious. However, those thoughts were abandoned for the very real situation at hand. A situation that would see her and Changeling caught with their pants down, and the memory of Nightwing's disappointed/disgusted face to haunt them for all eternity 

_.Fuck, if only I didn't want to sit on his stupid handsome face_

Raven could feel his warm spearmint breath on the side of her neck now, that's how close he was unknowingly leaning toward her at this point. Maybe she had also moved a bit closer? It was a little hard to tell at this point, not that it really mattered in the grand scheme of things. In fact, Raven had a bit of difficulty recalling anything that mattered, aside from the rooms only other occupant. Especially when another wave of lust washed over her, sparking lightly on her skin like a crisp champagne.  
 She was finding it hard to breathe without trying to taste his minty exhales, or putting her face to his throat or this chest to drink in his scent. She was practically gyrating in her seat, but couldn't be bothered to stop because even _that_ just felt _so good_ , and it seemed a much better alternative to crawling onto Changeling's lap.

_I can do this._

_I've resisted temptation so far, no point giving in now._

_.All I have to do is stay in this seat_

Her resolve was crumbling though, and they both knew it.

As her mind was filled with hundreds of deliciously lascivious images involving her seated in the office chair, with Changeling in and around her, in a wide variety of pretty creative positions, she heard him. A dark, breathy laugh that had her nipples tighten up even further, calling out for some much needed, and denied, attention. Raven shifted in her seat again, squeezing her damp thighs together, and tried to decide if it would be smarter to open her eyes or to keep them closed.

 "And what is it that _you're_ thinking about, Raven?" 

His words were honey, dripping from his sinfully delicious mouth, and hot onto the skin just below her ear. Her body betrayed her, yet again, by her back arching just enough for him to notice, and her head tilting away from him, giving him more access to that sensitive patch of flesh along her neck. The gesture was oddly submissive coming from Raven, and Changeling let out a low rumbling growl of approval. Her legs parted a bit as she slid a couple inches down in her chair, breaths coming in small pants while she tried not to cry out to him for a bit of relief. He hadn't even touched her.

 _Oh, I hate him. I hate him. I hate him._   

 Raven could feel a storm of _something_ , conflicting emotions, swelling inside of her, and they weren't hand-me-downs from Changeling. A frustration so powerful and erratic it caused her eyes to sting. Shame in her own behavior, and guilt at her illicit thoughts involving one of her friends and co-workers. She knew it wasn't all her fault for feeling like this, for _thinking_ like that, but all rational thought had left the building. Sexual frustration had morphed into something far worse for Raven, and had drawn all of her insecurities to the surface.

_He doesn't even want me. This is just a game to him. He's disgusted by the thought of me like that, I felt it. This is just some sort of hormonal compulsion on his part. Of course he doesn't actually want me, why would he?_

The forgotten objects, now suspended mid-air, started pulsating within the dark balls of energy, and Changeling broke his concentration on Raven to finally look around the room. A hot tear raced down her cheek, but she was too lost to even think about wiping it away before he turned back to her. Ravens next words were shakily whispered, and almost inaudible over the hiss of the door opening. 

"This isn't funny, Garfield."  

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a bit short, but THINGS ARE MOVING ALONG YOU GUYS!


	10. Guilty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you guys, I AM SO SORRY, I'm actually the worst and wont even try giving an excuse for why its taken me so long to update.
> 
> side note: My goddamn HUSBAND found out that I've been writing this as my guilty pleasure hobby on the rare occasions that I'm not busy, and I am feeling kink shamed so hard right now..like, talk about an embarrassing surprise conversation lol. kill me.

_Shit shit SHIT!_

_What have I done?_

He wanted to reach out to her, wipe away her tear, comfort her, but he stopped himself from closing the distance between them when he spotted Nightwing in the now open doorway. Even with his mask on, he looked disapproving as all hell, and mighty suspicious at the scene he discovered. Changeling couldn't blame him. He was practically crowding a _crying_ , **emotional** Raven in her chair. Three or four small, _totally_ destroyed items had just fallen back to the table, and if he was going to be blunt about it, it smelled like sex in there. 

He knew he looked guilty, that he _was_ guilty, and would take total responsibility for whatever it was that just happened, but he honestly had no idea what he'd actually done. A small sniffle drew his attention back to Raven, and she spoke up before he had a chance. 

"Nightwing." She took a long drag of air, and calmly wiped the tears from her face with a delicate, and surprisingly steady hand. "Took you long enough, I'm feeling a bit.. er..overwhelmed? I need to meditate. Alone."

It was uncanny how easily she was able to slip back into a state of monotone indifference, but it wasn't as if anyone was going to argue with her about what she wanted to do, or where she would go. The fact that she was ready to run out of there brought up a whole slew of implications, and he felt sick with the knowledge that he was the cause of it.  Nightwing looked almost as uncomfortable as Changeling felt, hands on his hips like some sort of concerned mother-figure. He looked back and forth between them again, but chose not to ask what he was so obviously thinking. _"what did he do?"_

Instead he asked, "You sure? You don't want to see the test results?"

By the tired sigh Raven gave, he probably shouldn't have asked. She was already shuffling in her seat, ready to push away from the table to leave as soon as Nightwing moved further into the room. 

"No. I've got a pretty good idea of what it'll say. Maybe later." 

She chanced a look at Changeling, still tense and worried, and as he suddenly noticed, much too close to her. He jumped back with a quick curse and a mumbled apology, and she went to stand up on shaking legs. He was pretty sure it wasn't out of fright, or a post leg-day workout, and that pleased him more than he wanted to think about. In fact, he wanted so much not to think about it, that the only thing he _could_ think about was making her legs shake for a not totally unrelated reason, involving his face sandwiched between her quivering thighs. Raven almost dropped back into her chair as her legs gave out, but as Changeling was graced with inhuman reflexes, it was easy for him to reach out and support her. 

_Red Alert! Red Alert!_

An alarm sounded off in his head the moment they made contact, and he cursed himself for being so impulsive. Obviously she didn't want him to be touching her, even in the most platonic, helpful way possible, but her reactions completely contradicted that. The moment his arm came around her back, and his hand gripped onto her waist, he knew what a fucking idiot he was. Her startled gasp dipped off into a breathy whimper, one he could definitely remember hearing through her door not too long ago, and he tried remembering that these reactions to him probably weren't voluntary on her part. He made to steady her and then let go, to get out of her space, and let her go do her meditation in peace, but as his hand slipped away from her, she latched onto his wrist with a tight grip that reminded him of just how strong this woman was. Her face looked so conflicted in that moment, she was looking at him, but never making eye contact. Those lips, pouty and slightly open, beckoned him closer, but her brows were furrowed, making cute little wrinkles on her forehead, told him _again_ to back the fuck up off of her, because they were both getting confused and horny, and that was proven a dangerous combo. He wasn't sure if she was more likely to snap his wrist, or put his hand back on her body. He didn't even have a preference at this point. Whatever she wanted to do was fine. _  
_

_God, she could literally do anything she wants to me, and I'd be okay with it._

_Maybe more than okay..._

Raven finally made a decision, soothing the skin on his arm with her thumb, brushing gently over his pulse point. He hoped that if his wrist bruised, he would be able to convince her to keep touching him like that. And he definitely wasn't above begging. It felt wonderful. Very, _very_ pleasant.

_Do not start purring._

_Do NOT purr like a cat, she'll freak out and stop the touching._

_We likes the touching._

She let go of him, and he tried not to whimper pathetically at the loss. Unfortunately for Nightwing, he was still in the room, waiting awkwardly for his friends to finish up whatever "moment" was happening. Without making eye contact with anyone, Raven adjusted the hood over her head and thanked Changeling in a hushed and uneven voice, who in return, just nodded his head. She was gliding toward the exit, slow, but graceful even after her fall, when Nightwing cleared his throat to grab her attention. 

"You sure you're alright, Raven? You don't need anything?"

"Thanks, but I'm fine." It was easy to tell that she just wanted out of there, but Nightwing was concerned, and moved closer to her to ask again. 

"Are you sure though? 'Cause wh-"

"I'M FINE! _Fuck_. Just move out of my way, okay? That's all I want right now. _Thank_ you."

 She roughly tugged on her cloak, shaking her head as she made her way out of the room and down the hall. The boys were left staring at the door long after it slid shut, wondering where to go from there. Changeling could feel the sweat cooling on his skin, making him feel even more awkward and uncomfortable than he already was. He was resigned to the fact that there would be no escaping the coming talk with his team leader, and was waiting for some sort of sign before sitting back down. Nightwing was turned away from him for a few more beats, obviously lost in his own thoughts, before heaving a defeated sigh, and moving to take his own seat. Changeling could only assume that he had given up on the thought of going after Raven, which was the very smart and correct move in this situation. They sat in awkward silence, eyeing each other with slight grimaces. 

"Soooo... that was... uh, weird? What exactly _was_ all that"? Nightwing gestured with his hands in an attempt to mimic what he had walked in on, making Changeling laugh a little as he relaxed. 

"Honestly, Dude, I dunno. Like, I know I need to apologize to her after she cools off, but-" he trailed off with a frustrated groan, viciously combing through his fingers through his hair, and Nightwing let him collect his thoughts.

"Bro, you _gotta_ know that i didn't like, hurt her or, like, _touch_ her or anything. You know that, right? I'd _never_." He was being as open and earnest as he know how, he didn't think he could handle it if his buddy/team leader/bro-dad doubted him about something like this. It would crush him. 

"Oh, yeah, I know. But... maybe.. maybe it was something you said?" 

_Or something I thought._

_And something I said._

_Fair point._  

"Mhm." Changeling nodded thoughtfully, chewing at the inside of his lips while he thought it over. 

He needed to talk to her, to apologize and beg her forgiveness, and vow not to make her feel so uncomfortable around him ever again. He was a massive dickhead and would grovel for forgiveness at her feet if needed. 

"You're right. Thanks man. I'm gonna head out and buy her some 'please-don't-kill-me' chocolates."

Nightwing chuckled and threw him a look that said "you'd better". He got up to leave, relieved he was finally getting out of that room, and with the beginnings of a sincere apology forming in his head already. He was in the open doorway before Nightwing called to him.

"Hey! Almost forgot, but the results from your blood work are clear. No residual toxins."

It was technically good news, as indicated by Nightwing's chipper tone, so he pasted on what he hoped was something resembling a smile. 

"Sweet. _Bye_ "

He took a giant step backward, into the hallway, and let the door slide closed. 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY HOLIDAYS!  
> Friends, casual readers who neither subscribe nor kudo stories, I bestow unto you another chapter!  
> 'Tis the season, y'all!
> 
> love ya :)

_UUUUHHHHHHHuhuhuhuhuhhhhh_

_Seriously, Raven?_

_REALLY?!_

She was speed walking to her room, just a few steps away now, shaking her head and mumbling to herself as she went. She knew better than to try convincing herself that this was all a bad dream, or alternate reality, and that soon it would all be over. But, that thought was certainly appealing at the moment. Very, _very_ appealing. 

_Oh fuck, and there I went, QUITE LITERALLY, falling to the floor at his feet in a puddle of goo..._

_A pathetic, whimpering, mess._

Raven entered her room, taking large breaths, trying to calm herself down. The worst part of this whole thing was that she wasn't even mad at him! Well, maybe a little, but she was definitely all worked up like this mostly because of herself. Because she was starting to want more than friendship from one of her only friends. Because she couldn't stop thinking about how she wanted him all to herself, while also telling herself that they could never have that kind of a relationship. 

_man, I am so fucked._

She knew, deep, _deep_ down, that these feelings had been building up for quite some time, and no matter how much she wanted to blame this whole situation on a freak chemical reaction, she had a sense that eventually the whole 'Feels for Garfield' thing would rear its head and ruin her life. But, like her anxious inner-selves cried, she should have had YEARS before that happened naturally. She was missing out on _years_ of self denial, second guessing, and eventual one-sided pining leading to disappointment and rejection. 

_I'm not ready to deal with this!_

 Raven realized she had been pacing when she felt her knees start shake once more, and let out a garbled cry of frustration. Her eyes were burning with unshed tears and she vaguely noticed that the contents of her hamper were upended and pulsing with dark energy. She steadied herself on the plush edge of her mattress and bent down to reach under her bed. Desperate times called for desperate measures. She struggled to find what she was looking for, for a moment, finding a book, a cloak, a slipper, and giant  spider that was actually just a ball of purple hair, before finally reaching what she needed. Raven grasped the handle and tugged the black box out from its hiding spot. On her hands and knees, Raven pushed the box towards her nightstand, lifted the lid, and looked inside. 

_Oh, I hope this works._

The large suitcase sized box was filled with random items. Maybe thirty or forty dollar-store finds were crammed inside. Cheap knock-off rubix cubes, wooden birdhouses, hideous droopy faced dolls, a stack of miniature pilons, etc. A couple of months ago, after a drunken epiphany, she had put together this emergency box and stored it under the bed, nearly forgetting all about it. Now, the time had come to test out Drunk Raven's master plan. 

She hoisted herself up and onto the bed, methodically punching, and fluffing, and then rearranging her pillows so she could get comfy. Her skull felt heavy, a headache sprouting up right behind her eyes. Tears were slowly making track marks down her cheeks again, and the sniffles had started up as well. She laid down after pulling her soft grey throw-blanket over herself, placing one hand off the bed, dangling over the box on the floor. 

_I am so stupid._

A black ball containing some sort of ornamental candle holder, floated up above her chest at a safe distance, and Raven choked on a sob as she used her energy to basically implode the thing.

_So, so pathetically stupid._

She vanished the remaining mess. Next was a metal colander, which was bent and twisted, and crumpled up like a paper ball.

 _He doesn't think of me like that. Not really._  

 A yellow, plastic dinosaur.

 _He only_ thought _he wanted me._

A 'Rubicks box'.

_I was close and easy and he was horny from some sort of fucking drug thing.._

Birdhouse.

_No one will ever want me like that._

Quiet sobs shook her body, as she poured out her frustration, bit by tiny bit. She didn't know how many items she had gone through, or when she had stopped vanishing the rubbish left behind. She wasn't sure if the rest of her room was safe from harm, or when she had let herself curl up and shut her eyes, but she was just so tired all of the sudden, and had fallen asleep before she knew it.

* * *

 Her toes were cold. 

She could feel the cool air tickling the soles of her feet, and shifted them closer to her body, searching out the blanket without opening her eyes. This little nap was just what she needed, and she wasn't about to cut it short if she didn't need to. Raven tucked her feet back into the blanket, making a warm pocket for her chilled toes, and made herself comfortable again. 

It was only a few moments of peace before she felt air ghosting over her exposed shoulder, and wondered when she had changed into pajamas. Knowing the size of her throw blanket, Raven was sure that if she pulled it up to her neck, it meant she would be sacrificing her feet to the cold once more. It had been a major inconvenience on more than one occasion, but she hadn't been able to replace the thing yet. It was just _so_ _soft_. With a grunt and a sigh, she rolled onto her stomach with a stretch, and folded her arms underneath the pillow she had buried her face into. 

_Hmmm nice 'n fluffy._

 She was seconds from falling back to sleep when she heard her door slide open. Too tired to care who it was, and why there were disturbing her, Raven grumbled to herself before halfheartedly yelling out,

"Go 'way! 'm sleepin."

She yawned then, but thought she might have heard a laugh. A quiet huff that she thought she recognized. A green mans laugh.

"Sorry Rae, just wanted to apologize for earlier."

His voice was soothing when he whispered, and Raven thought she shouldn't enjoy it as much as she did. 

"'S okay, we good. Talk later. Bye-bye now."

She wanted him to leave. She wanted to sleep, and definitely not talk about what happened between them. Hopefully he got the hint, and would let himself out quietly so she could get back to her nap. Raven had no such luck, and knew this when she felt the mattress dip down near her feet. It was a testament to how tired she must have been as she didn't speak up or move to stop him. He never touched her, but Raven could feel the heat radiating from him as he moved over her legs. He was so warm. She just barely stopped herself from pushing closer to him. The bed shifted a few more times at her hips and she squeaked in surprise when he whispered in her ear.

"Do you forgive me, Raven?"

His scent was intoxicating, his body heat was inviting, and his low, rumbling voice was igniting her. She didn't really have anything to forgive him for, if she were being honest with herself, and she appreciated him bringing up an apology at all, but he hadn't even said anything about being sorry. So Raven decided to teach him a lesson. He was forgiven, obviously, but he wouldn't hear that from her until she got a proper apology first. She shook her head.

"Hmm. I suppose I'll have to try a little harder then?"

She nodded, expecting the "sorry" to make an appearance. Instead, she felt a large, hot hand slide over the chilled shoulder that was just peeking out from her pillow. She melted into her bed when he pressed his thumb and the heel of his palm into her skin, moving up and toward her nape, not even bothering to stop the satisfied gasp that left her lips. Raven stretched out, giving him more access, and a signal to continue. He must have settled his weight onto his knees, because his second hand came to cover the other shoulder, working them in tandem, with just the right amount of pressure, like a practiced masseur. She didn't even think to question it. It was bliss. It was an excellent start to an apology.

He was working out a knot at the base of her skull, thumbs drawing tight circles in the problem area before gradually expanding. Small circles, larger circles. Clockwise, counter. Lighter, harder. His fingers somehow ended up at her throat as he moved one hand away from the knot to travel further down her spine. Four long, warm, strong, fingers gently stroked the skin on her neck and the space beneath her jaw, while the thumb continued its work at her nape. During one particularly deep kneed, his fingers also tightened in reflex, gently gripping around her throat. 

_Oh, fuck._

She didn't mean to. She _really_ didn't want to, but impulse took over. A low keening moan slipped out of her open mouth, and she arched her back, pushing her ass up towards the hips she knew must have been hovering just above hers. She didn't have to worry about offending him, thankfully, because after a moment he moved his hand to hold onto her properly. Thumb and forefinger under her jaw, palm resting gently against the column of her throat. He moved his other hand from between her shoulder blades to the mattress to steady himself, then settled his hips on top of her while giving another gentle squeeze.

_Yeeessssss_

Raven let out a sugary gasp, grinding back into him. He pushed back with a quiet groan, hard between her ass cheeks, and she could feel him through all the layers separating them. He spread his fingers at her neck, tilting her head up so he could rasp into her ear. She was so hot, and so, _so_ wet. From the second he touched her, she was almost dripping for him, wanting him with a desperate hunger that she couldn't seem to control. 

"Do you forgive me, Raven?"

He still hadn't said sorry. Not that it mattered right now, as long as he didn't stop what he was doing, but for some reason, she didn't want him to win. She was stubborn like that.

"N-no." 

"Ah. Okay, Rae."

He stopped moving then, just pinning her down by her hips. She felt his hand slip away, and started to panic. She was about to turn her head and look at him, twist her body around so she could stop him from leaving when he lifted off of her, but he sat back on her thighs, the tight fabric of his pants and his hard shaft still pressing into her, and he slowly pulled the blanket down her back.

_I'm not wearing a shirt._

How she didn't know that, Raven wasn't sure, but it was a blessing in that moment because soon she felt Garfield's hands burning a path over the naked skin of her back. He left no part untouched. He was deliberate in his exploration of her exposed skin, even running his fingers over her sides, teasing the skin on her stomach and breasts, dipping further to tease her nipples when she whimpered and wiggled under him.

Those minutes passed in a blur, and suddenly her knees were propped up, her head buried in the pillow as Garfield slid the panties down her thighs and spread her open with his perfect hands. 

 He was panting at he juncture of her legs, hot, heavy puffs of air that had Raven a lightheaded, frenzied mess. She had never felt so wanton. She was literally dripping down her thighs, her silky cunt gripping for a finger or cock, gasping into a pillow, while a man she hadn't even looked at, had his face mere inches away from the apex of her legs. He adjusted his grip on her ass and the back of her thighs, nails finally making their appearance as he grabbed on tight, and spread her open to him even more. He could see everything.

The both groaned, a deep a needy sound, and he asked again,

"Forgive me?"

She could feel the vibrations from his rough words, and she shook from the pleasure of it. Just as she was about to give in, a Crime Alert sounded.

* * *

 And she woke up. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See? I do care.


	12. Stretch

_Should I check on Rae yet?_

Changeling had just made his way back inside after a mildly relaxing aerial adventure. He had already picked up some chocolates for Raven, her favorite assortment of artisan truffles, and dropped them off in the kitchen about an hour ago, but was still all wound up. 

_Ugh. What if she still needs more time?_

_I don't want to push her..._

He hated this feeling. The sinking feeling in his gut that signaled everything was about to go tits up. He worked so hard to keep a safe distance for so long, driving a fence up to force himself from trying to get out of the friendzone with her. No matter how much he wanted to cross that line, he respectfully stayed on his side of the fence. Because he knew it would end badly for him. He couldn't risk that friendship, not with _her_. She was too special. _Raven_. She was...

_**BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP..** _

A Crime Alert sounded through the tower, practically stopping time for all of 0.085 seconds. Just enough time to process what was happening. Changeling spun on his heel and booted it back down the hallway. Nightwing would be waiting for them in the - room, as he somehow always seemed to do, _probably tunnels_ , where they would be debriefed before heading out to take care of business. Although this was a common occurrence, quite literally the only reason he lived in Titan Tower, he was still irked that it was putting a kink in his plan. And it wasn't even the good kind of kink. It was the one that obligated him to push his personal issue with Raven to the side while he did his job. 

He had long ago admitted to himself that Raven would always be one of his top priorities, recently ranking just second to his duties as a titan. 

He was already in his uniform, and didn't require any extra equipment, so when he slid into the room, it was just himself and Nightwing. His eyes narrowed in suspicion at his leader before searching the walls for any sign of a secret passageway. There was no point in making small talk at the moment, there never was in these situations. The team needed all the same information and it just made sense for their team leader to only go through everything once, with everyone present. Anything else was a distraction from the frantic organization of some type of a plan. And so Changeling anxiously waited for the rest of his team, while Nightwing mumbled to himself and ran through some files. 

_Hopefully somethings come up with those thugs from last week._

Every one of the Titans were wound up about that whole situation, and wouldn't be appeased until those guys were caught and brought to justice. A bit of payback would be welcomed as well, of course. Although the Titans weren't particularly proud to admit it, there have been a few cases of "not knowing my own strength" which has resulted in a couple more minor bruises on the occasional baddy. That guy with the dart gun idea had it comin.

_Man, what I wouldn't give to "accidentally" pinch him in the back of the arms a couple times._

_Maybe as a crab._

_That would hurt like hell._

_heh heh._

That buzzing sensation of 'adrenaline-lite' started to kick in just as Starfire shot into the room, all brightly colored and eager to help. The others wouldn't be too far along, and he reflexively went into one of his daily stretch routines. All of them had a couple versions, a handful of different full body stretches that they would pull out at random times to stay nimble and ready in case of emergency. The last thing anyone needed was to pull a hammy or something in the middle of a showdown. Changeling had his hands on his hips, a foot up on the edge of the table, and was leaning into the stretch when Raven glided in, followed by Cyborg. 

_Sweet baby Jesus..._

Not a hair on her head was out of place, her liquid midnight cloak was draped over her form, shielding her powerful and delectable body, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary about her. At least, no one would have noticed anything different except for Changeling. He knew a _very juicy_ lil tidbit now, and, apparently, his dick didn't want to keep that information a secret. He tried not to breathe in too deeply, but that was already a lost cause.

_fuck fuck fuuuuuuuck_

_omigod shes trying to kill me._

He tried not to draw any attention to himself while he brought his leg down and adjusted his goods. he crouched his body over the table, dropping his waist out of any ones line of sight, and did his best to stay rooted in one spot. _Do not get any closer to Raven._ He repeated that to himself while he waited for Nightwing to bring about a much needed distraction.

_Mmmh!_

_Raven, Raven, Raven._

_Smells soooo goooooooood...._

_What was she just doing?!_

_She must be so fuckin wet, holy shit...._

_Was she touching herself?_

_Was she thinking about me while she was doing it???_

 He was fast approaching full chub, and was starting to panic. There was no way he was going to be able to think about anything else on his own, and Raven was going to be all too aware of where his thoughts were soon, if she wasn't already. 

It was a glorious coincidence that Nightwing decided to finally speak up at the moment Changeling purposefully tapped his elbow into the edge of the table. He didn't severely injure himself, or anything even close, but the shooting pain from hitting your elbow definitely did the job of dissipating his randy and unfriendly thoughts. He mentally tucked that trick away for future reference. 

"We're going to a small storage unit facility on the outskirts of town. Twenty-four units on site, laid out in rows of four. Our interest in the back of the property, where there's been suspicious activity for the last three nights, although nothing was reported by the storage company itself."

Nightwing went on to clearly explain that yes, this could be the punks we ran into earlier, and that we were looking for any sign of illegal drug activity on site, chemical storage, even a full blown cooking lab wouldn't surprise them, although they seemed a little too high tech to be based out of a storage facility. 

"Several 'Let's Get Movin' moving trucks have been seen parked for long periods of time at the back of the unit, which shouldn't seem out of sorts, except that company doesn't actually operate on this side of the country, and the company HQ insists that these trucks aren't theirs." 

He paused to scrub his hands over his face, obviously frustrated that he didn't have more to go on. 

"Star and Cyborg, you'll be investigating the trucks, and Raven, you'll be keeping a lookout while Changeling and I check out the units. I want to make this quick, it could be nothing, but be vigilant."

A small grin crept over everyone's features when Nightwing called out his signature phrase.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact: the worlds fastest reaction time for a human is 0.101 seconds.  
> now you know.


	13. Chapter 13

_Oh, for Fuck's sake..._

Of course she would walk in here to an eye full of his crotch. Not that making direct eye contact with him seemed like the better option. Raven wasn't sure she could look at him at all right now, not when she was still slick and throbbing between her legs. She hated that she didn't jump in the shower earlier, and had an impromptu nap instead. Changeling would most definitely be able to smell how wet she was. She wanted to die, she was so embarrased. She wanted to throw him onto the table and just take what she wanted from him. Anything to get over this feeling. It was agony. And a distracting one at that. 

_Why, oh why did it have to be HIM?_

She knew that she couldn't screw her way out of this mess, and that doing ANYTHING with Garfield would be more trouble than it was worth. 

_Or maybe it would be sooooooo worth it._

She hated herself. She should definitely not be second guessing herself about this sort of thing. Especially when there was so much risk involved. She needed to be practical. She was Raven, the Practical and Level-headed one, dammit! Why was this causing her so much grief? It should be so, _so_ simple. All she needs to do is not think about Changeling anymore. Or want to bone him. Or have erotic fantasies about him. Or ever touch him again. 

Easy peasy. 

Raven shot a quick glace his way, and immediately regretted it. He was hunched over the table, eyes closed, the length of his neck exposed and he slowly rolled his head and shoulders. It was disturbingly sensual. 

_Was it hot in here?_

She needed to breathe. She needed a long, ice cold shower. She needed Nightwing to get on with it so she could get some space between herself and that big green temptation. 

Fortunately, it was in that moment Nightwing spoke up, and suddenly the fog had cleared. 

_Ah, the sweet balm of distraction._

He went through the plan, it was simple and easy and everything Raven needed in her life right now. She doubted the whole team was needed for this, but then again, if Nightwing's suspicions checked out, and this was connected to that new gang, things could get ugly fast. These guys were smart and still unpredictable. They were unknown for the most part, and that lack of information made them dangerous. 

She was grateful that she was the lookout this time around, it would keep her focused and, hopefully, it would keep her from having to use too much of her still somewhat iffy energy. It also kept her away from Changeling... as long as things went according to plan, anyways.

 

* * *

 

_Ugh._

_So hungry._

 She shouldn't have worried. The mission was a complete bust. 

There was absolutely no one on the property, and no trucks to be found by the time they got there. Changeling couldn't sniff out anything suspicious, even as a bloodhound, and Cyborg looked for any strange electricity output, and for weird heat pockets in the immediate area, but nothing came of it. The whole thing was a complete waste of time, but still managed to drain Raven of any remaining energy she had after her meltdown and surprise nap. 

She was glad for it. 

It was the first time all day that she hadn't thought once about her big green issue. A full thirty minutes of peace, and counting. All she cared about right now was getting some food in her belly, and getting back into her comfy bed with a good book. There was no way Nightwing would be sending her out again tonight, unless it was an end-of-the-world type of emergency, and that didn't bother her in the least. Although Nightwing definitely expected a different reaction from her, from all his stuttering and apologetic glances. Which, to be fair, wasn't quite unfounded, as she would have been right pissed about being told to 'stay home and take it easy tonight' if she wasn't feeling so out of sorts. 

The team split up after the everything checked out, and decided to make their own ways back to the tower. Nobody seemed to be in any rush to do so, the weather was actually quite nice, and the city seemed quiet for the most part, nothing going on that the Jump City beat cops couldn't handle. She rarely had the night off, officially anyways, and found it surprisingly easy to let go of that clinging tension and anxiety of being on-call at all times. Maybe it was the silver lining of this whole mess, that she was so wrung out that she could actually relax for once. Maybe she would have a long soak in the tub tonight, it wasn't every day that she would get the opportunity to really pamper herself and not worry about having to leave at a moments notice. Raven's grumbling stomach broke her quiet reflection as she drifted up the block towards that Korean BBQ food truck that was always in the area.

_Mmmm, I cannot wait to get me some short ribs, kimchi, rice and beansprout salad!_

_Food, then bath and book._

She was sure it would be on the corner near the library, as it usually was, but as she got nearer, she noticed that the trucks mouthwatering aroma was missing. It was odd, she could have sworn that she had spotted the red and white food truck on her way over. Raven rounded the corner, emerging from the back alley ways that she preferred to travel through when other transportation was unavailable, and realized her mistake. Although the coloring was right, this food truck was _not_ dishing out her Asian cravin', but vegan Mexican food. 

_Ugh. Maybe it's on the other side of the library this time._

Nacho Pappi's Taco's had a pretty decent sized line for this time of day, and Raven figured that she might just be hungry enough to try something from there, and give up her quest for kimchi. She crossed the street to get a better look at its menu, when she stopped dead in her tracks. Of course, there he was, her favorite green-skinned roommate/co-worker waiting for his order. In hindsight, it shouldn't have been much of a surprise. This is exactly the type of place she should have expected to find him. Raven couldn't help but notice that he wasn't entirely alone, either. Attached to his elbow was some type of busty strawberry blonde flower-child, and Changeling didn't seemed bothered by it in the slightest. In fact, he looked quite pleased with himself, and with his unencumbered view of Strawberry Slut-cake's chest. 

_Cool._

_Super fucking sweet._

_Appetite_ _officially lost._

Raven backed up until she was out of sight again, back to the cool, shaded alley entrance. She hated that she cared at all about who Changeling was with, or that he was probably going to follow the little tart home for 'dessert'. _Fuck!_  Why should it even mater to her what he does? It shouldn't.

_It doesn't._

Actually, maybe Changeling had the right idea. Maybe she needed to carve out a little time in her 'night off schedule' to getting over this weird whatever-it-was thats going on with her. 

Raven got home as fast as she could without completely wearing herself out. She quickly stripped and showered, changing into a sheer lace set, and a comfy yet curve hugging, long-sleeved LBD. Sitting on her bed, hair down and drying, she cradled her phone in freshly moisturized hands. The phone screen was now smudged to all hell, but Raven couldn't even care at the moment. She had told herself she wasn't going to do this with him again. She had actually had that conversation with herself quite a few times. But, again, here she was...

Should she really call him? It had been months, and although things ended on good terms the last time they saw each other, Raven was never a hundred percent happy with the arrangement. Probably because thats exactly what it was. An arrangement. But the sex was good. And that what she wanted right now. Right? 

_Yes. This is a good pan._

_A smart, good plan._

_Just press the button and do it._

_Easy._

The phone only rang once before he picked up. 

" _Hello_?"

"H-hey Garth. You busy tonight?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my dudes....
> 
> I would like to claim all rights to that sweet-ass food truck name btw. If anyone is interested, I will sell it to you for a very hefty price.


	14. Screwed

_Man, I should have just went straight home._

He had scurried off to this place, hoping to avoid a line, and somehow he still managed to be stuck waiting for 10 min(and counting) for his goddamn poblano and corn burrito. He was tired and hungry and eager to get back to Raven. It didn't help matters that he was also being harassed by Music Festival Barbie. 

_What did she say her name was?_

_Stephanie? Sapphire? Samantha?_

_Something with an 'S' and three syllables, I think._

And he couldn't exactly be rude to her, she was a fan after all, and his duty as a Titan was to the citizens of Jump City. Something which he interpreted as "don't be a dick to the civilians". Usually he would be quite happy to entertain a pretty girl like her, but for some reason, this chick held absolutely no appeal to him. It was very odd. She was objectively attractive, had very symmetrical features, vegan, is quite obviously single and interested. Under normal circumstances he wouldn't hesitate making a move on her, which had him wondering what exactly had changed. 

The answer floated through his line of thinking in a flash of violet.

_Raven._

He might have made a dopey little smile at the thought of her, because Sophia(?) let out a shrill giggle before launching into a story about her summer on a house boat.

_I thought she was just talking about smoothies like 5 seconds ago._

_Where is my burrito?!_

Changeling tried to focus on her words but could only notice what was making this girl so off-putting to him.

She smelled too sweet, _cloyingly_ sweet, like cotton candy and corn syrup, and it was making his nose itch. Her tanned skin seemed all wrong, and instead of thinking her freckles were adorable, all he saw was the early signs of skin damage and aging. And her voice, _fuck_ was it annoying. Too high pitched, too fast paced, and for some bizarre reason every sentence ended with an upward intonation, making each sentence sound like a question. 

_She got a nice set o' titties though._

He might have took a peek once or twice, in between trying to spot his food through the truck window.

Without feeling too terribly about it, Changeling had started tuning her out about 30 seconds after she started yammering away about a company that was interested in sponsoring her on Instagram. He had stuck to just politely nodding his head, smiling when she laughed at her own jokes, and throwing in an occasional word when she stopped to breathe. He didn't want to come out and say it, but he most definitely wasn't interested, and the only reason he was still standing there was because the food truck was holding his burrito hostage.

Then it happened.

A perfect, silver cylinder, piping hot, and wrapped lovingly in a crisp white napkin was placed in his line of vision. He heard his name, and in a trance, he reached for his long awaited prize. Salivating like a literal beast, he made his excuses to the woman who was not a delicious burrito, and left with his date, promptly eating the fuck out of her(the burrito, not the lady) once he reached a shadowed area between buildings. He didn't want any witnesses.

It was hot, and messy, and so, _so satisfying_. 

Its _possible_ that someone might have passed by him, hearing or witnessing what was happening in the shadows. And its _possible_ they scoffed at such an indecent picture, muttering something about " _doing that in private_ " and " _young people having no decency_ ". Changeling paid them no attention.

He was busy, juices dripping down his chin, moaning his love into that which he was devouring, eyes closed to savor the moment. He hardly stopped to breathe, taking gasping lungfuls of air as he frantically tore off the silver wrapping covering what he wanted. His back was hunched with the effort of trying to fit as much in his mouth as possible, swearing when he heard something hit the street below him. He didn't want to waste a drop. His mind was a river of " _more_ ", and " _good_ ", and " _yes, yes, yes!_ ".  He was an animal, grunting and slurping, lapping at his greedy paws when he would accidentally tear it's delicate flesh in his urgency for _more._

With a deep, pleasured moan, he finished, wiping his face on the sleeve of his arm, and licking the remaining flavor off his fingers. 

"Fuck yeah".

Changeling fucking _loved_ those burritos. 

_Definitely worth the wait._

He composed himself, tossed the foil in a trash bin, and walked home, too full to get back any other way.

 

* * *

 

 

 Raven was gone.

Changeling had taken the long way home, enjoying the scenic route while trying to digest his hastily eaten meal, and in those extra few minutes, Raven had left Titan tower. 

She was allowed to of course, _obviously_ , but why? 

Was she avoiding him? Was she..... doing _something_?

It was at this point Changeling realized he didn't actually know what it was Raven did in her free time that involved leaving the tower. Yes, he knew she liked drinking tea, meditating, and that she could spend days on end reading. He knew she would sometimes go to the bookstore, or her favorite cafe, but usually with Starfire, after being dragged out on a shopping trip. She didn't date, She avoided crowds and loud spaces, so concerts and festivals were a no go. And he knew she wasn't one to explore the city by herself, like Cyborg and himself have been known to do.

So where was she? 

Hiking? It was possible, he supposed. Changeling could imagine her on a hilltop, surrounded by nature, the setting sun casting an orange glow around her as she relaxed. She would be taking in the scenery, enjoying her time alone, feeling connected to the elements or whatever, probably looking ridiculously beautiful. Probably smelling ridiculously good. 

_Nature Raven._

He liked that hypothetical picture, and decided that was his best guess.

He didn't want to go snooping for answers. He knew it would make him seem needy and clingy, and Raven would pity him for it when she would learn about it. So, like the desperate sap he was, Changeling left her chocolates and a little note at her door. 

_Am I a terrible friend for not knowing where she might be?_

_Yes._

_Am I pathetic for wanting to find her while she obviously wants to be alone?_

_Very much so._

_Will I make it my mission to find out more about her personal life as soon as I get the opportunity?_

_Frick yes I will!_

_That way I will always be able to find her, and she will never be lonely or in danger ever again!_

He stopped in the doorway to his own room, and wondered why he was turning into such a _creepy fuck_. Shaking his head, and all thoughts of a 'claim' of any sort on Raven, who was just his FRIEND, He picked up a graphic novel off his dresser and rolled onto his bed for a quick read. 

He only thought of Raven every 3 minutes on average, and considered that an improvement from the last few days. 

After an hour of "reading", Changeling rolled back out of bed and went to grab a drink from the kitchen. It was just coincidence that it brought him passed Ravens room where his chocolates were still standing guard at her door, his little note sadly waving at him as he passed by. 

_Where was she?_

If she was out hiking, surely she would be back soon. Within the hour, tops. It was reassuring to think that way, and he had already decided not to entertain any other scenarios. She would be back soon.

He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and went to the garage. Cyborg had been talking about making some improvements to the T-Ship lately, and passing wrenches or whatever would keep him busy for a while. 

 

* * *

 

 Forty-five minutes later, Changeling was on the couch in front of the TV, flipping through channels with a scowl on his face. 

_Where was she?_

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all never eat burritos the same way ever again.


End file.
